


Purrfection

by Shadow_Assassin01



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2018-09-22 00:36:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9574100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_Assassin01/pseuds/Shadow_Assassin01
Summary: Ladybug has always viewed famous model, Adrien Agreste, as 'perfect' but when Cat Noir hears her actually say it, he gets upset. Is the leather clad hero jealous of Ladybug's blond haired crush or is there something else to the feline's anger? It's time for Cat Noir to teach his partner something this time. Can the green eyed kitty get through to his dark haired Lady?





	1. Purrfect

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Harmony Bennet](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Harmony+Bennet).



> I do not own, nor am I making money off of, The Miraculous Adventures of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Ladybug and Cat Noir had just finished patrolling the city and had decided to take a break on the Eifel tower. Ladybug was staring out blankly at the city, off in her own little world. She was thinking about Adrien again... wondering what he might be doing right now. Was he thinking about her? If he was... was it Ladybug he was thinking about? Or Marinette? Unlikely Marinette... she knew well enough that the blond boy was in love with her masked self. Marinette wasn't even on the radar.

Of course... she couldn't blame the poor boy. Marinette couldn't even speak a single word to the green eyed model without tripping over her own tongue... or her own feet. Some super hero she was. If people only knew who the girl under this spotted mask really was.

She chuckled after a moment and sighed before mumbling to herself, "Adrien... hnn..." she uttered before blushing, "why can't I get him out of my head? He's just so perfect..." this got the attention of her strangely quiet companion whom she'd forgotten completely about.

"Seriously? Him again?" Cat Noir mumbled, almost sounding jealous. He was jealous... he didn't want Ladybug to love Adrien... he wanted her to love Cat Noir... Cat Noir was real... he might wear a mask on his face but he didn't mask his personality... Adrien wasn't even a real person. He was just a doll that his father dressed up to look pretty and controlled like a puppet master.

"What's wrong, kitty? Jealous?" the dark haired girl asked with a chuckle. Cat Noir always flirted and fooled around but she didn't honestly believe that he had real feelings for her. He'd flirted with her as Marinette as well after all. Cat Noir was a player... he didn't love her, he just wanted to prove to himself that he could get her... and she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

"Tsh... is that why you like him so much, M'Lady? Because he's perfect?" Cat Noir asked, looking away from her, feeling upset. She liked the lie... the fraud that his father had made him. He wanted to be sick. He'd thought Ladybug was different... but this... this just hurt. She liked him for what he hated about himself.

"Well he is... He's amazing... He's sweet and kind and talented... he is perfect," Ladybug uttered and to her that was the truth. Adrien had always been so nice to her. She genuinely liked him. She wasn't sure what was up with her partner though. She'd never seen him act jealous like this before.

"No one is perfect Ladybug... not even him. If all you like about him is that he's perfect... then maybe you're not the person I thought you were..." Cat Noir uttered with a sigh, still looking upset. He was tired of everyone making him feel like he couldn't be himself... that he had to be this perfect image all the time.

"You don't know him like I do!" Ladybug snapped out. She was kind of hurt and she didn't like Cat talking bad about Adrien. It sounded like that's exactly what he was doing. He sounded bitter and jealous, truth be told, and it seemed selfish to her. She had made it clear that she didn't have feelings for Cat and even if he really did have feelings for her, she could never return them. She loved Adrien.

"Clearly you don't know him like you think you do! Do you think he'd like it if he found out you only liked him because you thought he was 'perfect'? Do you think he wants to be held to that kind of standard? Everyone has their faults... and no one wants to feel like they have to be perfect all the time... Maybe you should actually get to know him... see the person behind his mask of perfection... then tell me whether you're still in love with him," the green-eyed feline uttered.

"Cat..." the blue-eyed heroine whispered before sighing, "I don't care what you think... he's perfect to me and that's all that matters... I really like this boy. I know you can't understand that but I don't care. He doesn't need to be perfect in your eyes. He's perfect in mine..." the dark-haired heroine uttered, "What's gotten into you? You don't know Adrien, so you have no right to talk about him like that..."

"Don't you think that's a little cruel to him? The way I see it... you don't care what he's really like as long as he keeps acting like this perfect boy you like so much. You don't really want to get to know him... do you? You just like the image he puts out to people. How hard do you think it is for him to put that image on every day... to parade around with a mask of perfection on because he knows that, that is what people expect of him?" Cat Noir uttered out, turning away from her.

"I don't expect that!" Ladybug snapped out, feeling hurt. What had gotten into her partner all of a sudden? What was going through his head? She didn't expect Adrien to be perfect... he just... was... he was amazing. He was wonderful and she loved being around him. She loved spending time with him and despite her inability to form a complete sentence in his presence... she really liked talking with him and seeing him smile.

"But you do! Listen to yourself!" Cat Noir snapped out, sighing softly, "You do expect it... the moment you said he was perfect... you expected it... you expected perfection because that's what he is to you. No one... in their right mind... wants to have to be perfect. No one should have that kind of responsibility thrust upon them. You can say that's not how you feel, you can tell him that you don't expect it but the moment you say 'he's perfect', it changes everything. Perfect is a powerful word... it's a word that's set in stone... it means... 'to have no faults'. Perfect means you can't make mistakes. No one truly wants to be perfect... it's too much responsibility."

Ladybug's heart skipped a beat... she understood now. Cat was right... this silly, ridiculous, flirty, but oh-so-loyal, cat was right. She rarely spent time alone with Adrien. He hadn't had time to really open up to her because she didn't spend enough time with him. She hadn't given herself time to get to know him for who he truly was. She hadn't given him enough time to feel comfortable enough with her, to show her who he truly was.

Cat went quiet at this point and Ladybug sighed softly as she looked over to him, whispering out quietly, "I... never thought about it like that. I thought... I just thought you were jealous... but that isn't it... is it?" she managed out before shaking her head, "You're right... those words... that word... is strong... and it holds a deeper meaning than I thought it did. It sounds like a nice word but it can also be cruel. I never meant it to seem like that. I've never said it to Adrien... I hope he never heard me say it either."

"I... I know how his father is with him. He... he's always expecting Adrien to be the perfect son... the perfect model... the perfect student... I never realized I was... kind of expecting the same thing. For him to be the... perfect friend... the perfect boy..." she said, blushing slightly, "I'm sorry, Adrien..." she whispered to the air around her, not expecting the boy to actually hear her but just wanting to say those words.

Her partner smiled weakly and nodded with a sigh, "I'm sure he wouldn't hold it against you, M'Lady. You didn't do it on purpose... you meant no ill will. Besides... who could hold something against the 'purrfect' Ladybug anyway?" he asked with a smirk, figuring he'd turn the tables to let her get her feelings out and cheer her up again. He didn't like to see her unhappy after all.

Ladybug scowled slightly and slapped him on the shoulder, "so not funny... we totally need to promise not to use those kinds of words when referring to other people... or to each other..." she said, looking to the blond feline who smirked and nodded before they both uttered out the words, "Promise..." before giggling slightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you could leave me a review, that would be great. Reviews inspire me to write more. =^-^= It doesn't have to be long. Just knowing you enjoyed it is enough. Constructive criticism is always welcome as well.


	2. Impurrfect Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her talk with Cat Noir, Marinette is starting to feel a little guilty about thinking of Adrien as perfect. What happens when she decides to apologize to the blond boy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own, nor am I making money off of, The Miraculous Adventures of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Marinette sighed as she stepped onto school grounds. She was early today, for once. She couldn't get her talk with Chat Noir out of her head. She really had thought he was just being a jealous kitty at first but... she was shocked at the realization that the blond fur for brains had a deeper thought process than she'd originally imagined.

It was actually interesting to have seen that side of her partner. What had put such thoughts into his head in the first place, though? Did he feel that way too? Like people expected too much out of him? She wouldn't blame him if he did... after all, Paris expected a whole lot out of both of them.

Paris assumed that they'd always be there, that they'd always win the fight, that they'd always protect every Parisian that got attacked by an Akuma or became one. It was a lot of weight put on such young shoulders and perhaps Marinette wasn't the only one feeling that weight after all. She should never have assumed that her happy-go-lucky partner wasn't feeling the effects of the responsibility that had been placed on them. It seemed she'd made assumptions about both of the blond boys in her life.

She frowned at this point, her thoughts going back to Adrien. She felt kind of guilty, truth be told. She knew that Adrien had a lot of expectations put on his shoulders too. He was the son of the famous Gabriel Agreste and he was also a famous fashion model that everyone adored. His father expected him to be prim and proper and his fans expected him to be kind, gentle and always look his best.

Adrien couldn't do anything wrong or it would be in the papers before he could say 'no flash photography please'. It must be hard on him. She couldn't imagine being in that kind of spotlight all the time. It was hard enough being Ladybug... but at least she could return to her civilian form and escape the limelight for a while... Adrien was trapped in that limelight almost all the time... except perhaps when he was at school. Everyone at school treated him more or less normally...

"Hey, gurl!" came Alya's voice after a second and Marinette blinked, looking up to the bespectacled girl with a warm smile. "Hey, Alya... how are you?" she asked and the two of them started chatting about their evenings, Marinette making up an elaborate story about designing a dress that she wanted to wear to prom when the time came, just to cover up the real events of last evening.

They were headed towards the school when they spotted Nino and Adrien walking towards them. Marinette smiled weakly, blushing slightly as Alya waved to the two boys, "Hey there!" before looking to Marinette and chuckling, just figuring she was being her usual shy self. That girl just couldn't keep her composure around Adrien... not if her life depended on it.

"Hey Alya, Marinette," Adrien said with a warm smile, making the dark-haired girl blush even more and sputter out a, "Ha... happy day... morning... umm... hi?" tripping over her words, as usual, causing her three friends to chuckle as they headed into the school for class.

Marinette watched Adrien's back throughout the entire morning, frowning as she thought about how much Cat's words had hit home the night before. Did Adrien feel like he was trapped by other people's expectations of him? He was certainly trapped by his father's expectations, that she was sure of.

She sighed after a moment, putting her head on her hand as she decided to herself that she needed to talk to him... not sputter and stutter but actually talk. She wanted to apologize... even if he'd never heard her say that word... perfect... she felt like she should apologize. Cat was right, after all, she should welcome Adrien's faults if she truly cared for him... that's what a relationship was all about... loving someone for who they are, inside and out, flaws and all.

Marinette got lucky and Miss Bustier hadn't caught her staring off into space... or at Adrien rather... and soon enough it was lunch time. Marinette waited for a bit as Adrien slowly put his stuff in his bag, trying to calm herself. Everyone started piling out of the class, including Chloe and Sabrina, by the time Marinette got the courage to move. Her hands shook as she took a deep breath, "H... Hey... Ad... dr... Adrien?!" she let out, a little louder than she had expected, her cheeks darkening as the boy looked at her, confused.

She covered her mouth quickly, a little bit embarrassed as Alya stared at her, shocked to see her friend trying to, willingly, talk to her blond crush. Alya just grinned, winking at her friend as she grabbed Nino by the wrist and dragged him off with her so he couldn't interrupt the moment the two were having.

This left the two of them alone in the room and the blond blinked as he looked to her, "Y... yes? What's up Marinette?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as she glanced up, spotting Alya closing the door behind them and winking one last time as she waved, giving a thumbs up, before slipping off, silently wishing her friend luck.

"I... uhh... umm... I just... I wa... wanted to... umm... kind of... I feel bad... I mean... I..." Marinette stammered, cheeks going really red as Adrien chuckled softly, "Cat got your tongue?" and Marinette blinked before chuckling softly. Cat puns... it had to be a cat pun... but thinking about Cat Noir seemed to help calm her a little and she relaxed a bit. She always felt comfortable with her partner. Adrien might not be Cat but reminding her of him helped her nerves.

"I... I'm sorry," she managed out after a moment, causing the boy to look confused, "I... I've said things... and thought things... that were... untrue... a... about you... and I... I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have thought such things because... it was... they were unfair to you..." she said, stammering as she spoke as the blond frowned a bit.

"W... what?" he asked, confused, "what... are you talking about? What is it that you could have said?" Adrien wondered out loud. Marinette was always so sweet, kind and so quiet. He couldn't see the pigtailed girl saying anything mean. She was just too sweet for that. It just wasn't in her personality to be cruel.

Marinette took a deep breath before sighing, "I... ever since the day we first met... when you... when you gave me your umbrella... I've... always thought... you were... perfect..." she uttered, "you were so kind and sweet and generous... I was... shocked... the more I learned about you... the more... perfect you seemed to be to me... I even... told Alya how perfect I thought you were..." she uttered out.

Adrien's heart leaped in his chest as the girl spoke, blinking as the words came out of the shy girl's mouth. Perfect... that word in particular... Ladybug's voice echoed in his mind, 'He's just so perfect...' That same voice... that same word... and she was apologizing... Part of him wanted to think it was just a coincidence, if only because he knew how much the secret meant to Ladybug... but... it was hard to believe it had nothing to do with last night.

"I... I never meant to make it sound like I expected you to be perfect... I don't want you to have to feel like you can't make mistakes around me... I want to know you... I want to be your friend... I... I want to get to know the real you... your wishes, dreams, likes... and your faults... I... want to show you that you don't have to be perfect... that your faults can be loved just as much as everything else about you," Marinette uttered before her cheeks went beat red, "I mean... liked... not... not loved... I mean... I don't... I mean... I do... but... you don't... have to... I mean... oh my god... please shoot me..."

Adrien burst out laughing at this point, his own cheeks dusting pink as he reached down to grab one of Marinette's hands before she could cover her face up with it. It was that same beautiful laugh she'd heard after he'd given her that umbrella on that fateful day... as the rain poured down around them.

Marinette groaned and blinked as she looked at her hand, then shyly up to Adrien's vibrant green eyes. She was embarrassed but also confused. She stared at him as he held her hand, wondering if she should pull it away or just wait to see what he'd do. She decided after a moment to just let things happen as they would... or perhaps it had something to do with her not being able to move a muscle.

Adrien smiled warmly at this point, tilting his head to the side for a moment as he took in her flustered state. She was beautiful... and absolutely adorable. He'd never thought he could be more in love with Ladybug but right now he was realizing he'd been so very, very wrong. With that, he brought her hand up, leaning down slightly to press a gentle kiss to her hand, "I forgive you... My Lady..."

Marinette blushed deeply at the kiss to her hand, a shiver running through her whole body before the words left the blond's lips. She blinked at them before confusion reached her features. She looked at him, the posture, the words... those lips against her hand... the cat pun from earlier.

She stared at him for a moment as his eyes met her's again and she finally whispered out, not sure she wanted to know the truth but knowing there was no turning back now, "C... Cat? Cat Noir?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you could leave me a review, that would be great. Reviews inspire me to write more. =^-^= It doesn't have to be long. Just knowing you enjoyed it is enough. Constructive criticism is always welcome as well.


	3. Purrfect Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shocked Marinette has just found out that the longtime crush Adrien Agreste is, in fact, her battle partner Cat Noir... what happens now? Will Marinette still be able to battle with the blond heartthrob? Will Adrien be disappointed that Marinette is his Ladybug? Will they FINALLY get together? Read and find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own, nor am I making money off of, The Miraculous Adventures of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

"C... Cat? Cat Noir?" Marinette murmured as she stared wide-eyed at the blond boy in front of her, gazing into impossibly bright emerald eyes. A shiver ran through her as a smirk graced the usually sweet and calm boy`s lips. She wasn`t sure what to say or do but she could already feel the heat radiating off her cheeks and moving its way down her neck.

Adrien let her hand go at this point, letting the dark haired girl process this new, and clearly shocking, information. He had been shocked himself, a few months ago, upon having a talk with Ladybug about her crush on a certain supermodel. He hadn't really expected her to open up to him like that but he figured it had something to do with the fact that EVERYONE knew who Adrien Agreste was anyway. It wouldn't give away her identity even if she told him about the blond boy she was so madly in love with.

It had hurt him, however, to know that his lady liked that... impostor... that fake... the puppet... the doll... that his father dressed up in his designs and presented to the world. He was famous as Adrien... everyone loved and adored him, but he hadn't earned that fame. He just had a rich and famous father... and a pretty face. It was all just genetics...

Not to mention that everything he did as Adrien was closely monitored by his father... he had rules to follow and he followed them to the letter. He couldn't bring shame upon the Agreste name. He needed to be exactly what Marinette had thought he was... perfect. At least that meant he was doing a good job. It still hurt though. He wanted those close to him to know the real him so badly. To accept him for who he truly was. To want to know the playful, fun-loving kitten hiding behind the mask of the perfect model son of Gabriel Agreste.

While Adrien was deep in thought, so was Marinette. Had she inadvertently just told Cat Noir that she loved him? Not to mention... had she spent the last year and a half telling him she wasn't interested in him? Pushing him away... telling him to stop flirting... stop making stupid puns... feeling annoyed by him and his stubborn attachment to her? She's rejected Cat Noir for Adrien... and Cat Noir was Adrien... She's rejected Adrien... for Adrien... she felt kind of stupid right about then.

She felt a little guilty too, truth be told. All this time she had been rejecting Cat Noir's feelings... truly believing he was just a playboy, fooling around and not serious about his feelings... and even if he was, she wasn't interested in him. She wanted to be with Adrien Agreste. Too bad Adrien Agreste turned out to be the sweet little kitten with the childish charms that constantly followed her around and put himself in danger to protect her.

He'd probably want nothing to do with her now. Especially since now, he knew that she was just... Marinette... Clumsy, silly, shy, ordinary, invisible Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The girl who sat behind him in class every day but couldn't manage to say a complete, coherent sentence to him to save her pathetic existence. She wanted to crumble to the ground and curl in on herself at that point as she frowned. She'd had a chance... she had actually had a real chance with him... but she was so sure she'd blown it now. He wouldn't want to be with her. Not after the way she'd treated him.

"My Lady?" Came a voice which pulled her from her self-destructive thoughts. She frowned and looked into vibrant green eyes and blushed even more if that was even possible. Adrien was staring at her with the cutest tilt of his head and a curious look on his face. He smiled weakly to her before straightening up again and letting out, "I'm sorry. If you're upset... about... Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. I... I know how important your identity means to you..." he uttered, looking almost like a kicked puppy suddenly.

Adrien was sure that she was angry with him for revealing himself to her and making it known to her that he knew her identity. He should have just played it off as coincidence and forgotten about it. Ladybug had made it clear, many times, that their identities must remain a secret... even from each other... no matter what. He just couldn't help it. Watching her stumble over her words, desperate to apologize to him for something she really had already apologized for. He wanted to ease her worries but perhaps he'd just made things worse in the end.

Marinette blinked at this before her eyes went wide again and she shook her head, "Oh... no, no, no, no, no, no... I'm... I'm not upset about that... I'm not angry... It... It wasn't your fault. It was just... an accident. You didn't know and neither did I... I'm glad you didn't pretend you didn't realize it was me. It could have caused problems in the future... at least now... I'll be prepared if anything happens... you know. If you get... controlled by an akuma again. I'll know what to expect. I'll be able to better protect the people I care about... Don't feel bad."

Marinette was sure that if he had been in his Cat Noir form right now, his black ears would have gone from drooping to quite bright and perky in a moment as the words left her lips. His eyes seemed to sparkle and she couldn't help but smile warmly. That was her kitty... yes... her kitty. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought. He had called her his lady for so long... she'd brushed it off but now... she felt the same way... maybe it was cruel to be thinking that way now after rejecting him for so long but... She wanted him to be her's... and her's alone. Her kitty... her best friend... her partner... and hopefully... more than that.

"I'm so relieved, My Lady. I thought... I was sure you were angry..." Adrien uttered, blushing slightly as he smiled before it faded, "You're not... disappointed are you?" he asked. Sure, she was in love with Adrien, but that didn't mean she wanted him as a battle partner... it also didn't mean she wanted to date the playful, flirty kitty who just happened to have turned out to be Adrien. What if she didn't like him anymore? She'd made it clear that he was just an annoyance when it came to the flirting and his adoration for her. To find out that the boy she loved was the one who'd been driving her 'catty' this whole time... it was easy to believe those feelings wouldn't remain for long.

"W.. what? Oh, Adrien... of course not... I'm... confused... shocked... embarrassed... elated... excited... and so many other emotions but disappointed is not one of them... at least... not disappointed in you," Marinette admitted, frowning slightly as she looked away from him, "You're the one who should be disappointed. All this time, the amazing heroine and partner that you've been so very much in love with... she's just... me... klutzy, useless, tongue-tied, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Just an ordinary, baker's daughter. No one special..."

Adrien blinked at this before narrowing his eyes at her as he brought a hand to her chin, all but forcing her to look in his eyes, though he didn't hurt her. He stared into her eyes as he shook his head, "Don't you ever... ever belittle yourself like that again... I never want to hear words like that come out of your mouth again... not about yourself... Mari... do you have any idea... who you really are? Has the last year not been proof enough? Marinette... You are... amazing. You... not Ladybug... Ladybug is a costume... a mask that you... you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, put on."

"No... No, she's not. She's not me. I'm nothing like Ladybug. I'm shy and scared... I could barely speak to you because I had such a crush on you..." she mumbled, finally admitting it fully. She had a crush on Adrien... there... it was out. She took a breath, shaking slightly as she spoke again, "Ladybug is brave... courageous... she's smart, graceful, lucky as can be... I'm not that... I've got the world's worst luck... I'm a walking disaster..."

The blond boy sighed as he shook his head, "No... Marinette... You aren't... You are Marinette... Class President... who takes charge when things go bad... you're everyone's friend... who sticks up to bullies like Chloe... and is ready whenever a friend is in need of a shoulder to cry on, some encouraging words or just a little bit of a helping hand. You look out for your friends and you look out for people you don't even know. You have a big heart... you're kind, sweet, courageous, helpful and fun to be around. People genuinely like you... not just Ladybug... but you... And there's a very good reason for that. You are a good person. Even if you have a little bit of trouble talking to boy's you like..." he said with a wink, letting his hand fall to his side.

Marinette's face was red as a tomato at this point. Hearing Adrien talk about her like that made her heart flutter and butterflies flit about in her belly. She smiled shyly as she looked away once the hand was gone, "Th... thank you..." she murmured sheepishly. Maybe she was more like Ladybug then she realized, but she really was just trying to do the right thing... but wasn't that what Ladybug was all about? Doing the right thing... protecting the innocent... helping others and being a role model. She smiled warmly as she looked to Adrien, "thank you... so much. I think I really needed to hear that."

"Anytime, Buginette..." Adrien smirked and Marinette's eyes went wide as she blushed at the new nickname. Adrien just chuckled at this before he sighed, "Mari... do you know when and why I fell in love with Ladybug?" he asked and Marinette blinked before shaking her head. She had no idea really. He was always flirty... always the silly, playful kitty who seemed bent on getting a date with her.

Adrien blushed a bit before he smiled weakly, "It was... back at the beginning... back when we fought Stoneheart..." he uttered, looking away as he took a deep breath, "You were so skittish... shy and clumsy... I can still remember the embarrassed look on your face when we first met and you'd managed to tangle the two of us up in your yo-yo. Back then, I could tell you didn't think you were cut out for the job. You had no confidence... you were afraid and I could see it. You didn't ask for this job and you weren't so sure you wanted it..." he uttered.

"Don't remind me..." Marinette mumbled and Adrien just chuckled, reaching over to put a hand on her shoulder as he looked back at her, a comforting smile on his face as he stared into her enchantingly, beautiful, bluebell eyes, "You looked like you were ready to turn tail and run... but when it came down to it... when the city needed you... when I needed you... you pushed those fears deep down and dug deeper and pulled out that confidence that's always been there... waiting for you to use it... when the city and I really, truly needed you... You were there for us. Scared or not... you did what you needed to do... you did the right thing... you saved Paris... and you saved me."

Marinette felt tears welling in her eyes at this point as Adrien continued, "I didn't fall in love with the brave, heroic, graceful Ladybug that everyone in Paris loves. I fell in love with the unsure, nervous girl who, when Paris needed her, stepped up and put her own fears and needs aside in order to stop Hawkmoth... and protect the innocent people of Paris from him and his akuma. The girl who came to my aid when I needed a partner and a voice of reason," he said with a wink, "That's who Ladybug really is... that's who you really are... You are amazing... amazing in your strengths and your weaknesses... no one is perfect... and I would never expect you to be... I like you just the way you are, My Lady. You are purrfect... in your impurrfections."

The dark-haired heroine stared at Adrien at this point, shocked and in awe of how poetic her silly kitty could be and how much he clearly respected her as a person... She'd never truly realized just how much he truly knew about her, even when she wore a mask. He saw the girl under the mask, right through it... he knew she was insecure and he didn't care. He liked her for it... he liked her... for her... imperfections and all.

She finally smiled and chuckled softly, moving closer to plop her head on his chest as she sighed, "stupid kitty..." she mumbled out and he smiled warmly as he brought one hand around her waist and the other up to run over one cheek, "but I'm your stupid kitty... if you want me, that is..." he said, his own stomach fluttering nervously as he felt Marinette's arms wrap around his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Mine... and only mine... forever..." Marinette whispered, "My... purrfect furball," she mumbled with a smirk before biting her bottom lip and leaning up, pausing inches from his lips and letting Adrien lean down to close the gap, pressing his perfectly soft lips to her own. This wasn't the first time she'd kissed him, she realized... but it felt so much more... real... now that they were both doing this willingly... with all secrets laid out in front of them... no more secrets... no more masks... just the truth... It truly was... the purrfect moment... the purrfect kiss... the purrfect start to something new... something amazing... something absolutely... Miraculous.

The end. Or rather... the beginning. ~_^

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this story. If you could leave me a review, that would be great. Reviews inspire me to write more. =^-^= It doesn't have to be long. Just knowing you enjoyed it is enough. Constructive critisism is always welcome as well.


End file.
